Ralph Paul Stevens, age 91, lifelong resident of the Somerville Community and husband of Bettye McKinstry Stevens, died Thursday morning, September 28, 2017 at his residence.

Services of Remembrance with Military Honors for Mr. Stevens were conducted at 2 P.M. Monday, October 2, 2017 at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Dr. Stephanie Patton officiating. Interment followed in the Somerville City Cemetery. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center – West Chapel at Oakland.

Ralph Paul Stevens was born May 3, 1926 in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of David Albertis Stevens and Mary Carl Stevens. Ralph served in the Navy during World War II on the aircraft carrier, “The Hornet”. He joined the Navy at 17 years old but was deferred until graduating from high school. While in the Navy, he attended Milligan College at Johnson City, Tennessee.

He was a lifelong member at the Oakland Presbyterian Church. There, he served as superintendent, Sunday School teacher and an Elder. Ralph was a past member of the Fayette County School Board and was on the Board of Directors at Fayette Farmers’ Cooperative. He farmed some of the land his family had farmed since 1850. He loved nature and saw something each day where he said “earth and heaven came together.” Ralph was a gentle man, growing up during the depression, he never threw anything away.